Designing homes to pay off over time
Everybody has probably heard the term "money pit" when discussing homes. Often it can be the case that you need to keep spending over the years to renovate your home to keep up with standards and trends. However, what if you could design the property to pay you back instead? We want to have a closer look at the topic here, including strategies you can use. Then, if you want some help with residential architecture in London, we'd love to work with you.
Focusing on long term value
If you look closely at a lot of homes, especially period properties, you can see they weren't built for the future. Just consider the bathrooms. Indoor plumbing wasn't the norm until the 20th century. Initially, a lot of homes got the addition of a bathroom on the ground floor. Later it became standard to have it upstairs. Today people want homes with multiple bathrooms, often upstairs, downstairs, and en-suites.
The best thing to do is to design while looking ahead. Create a home that can easily adapt in the future. This will reduce the need for large, costly renovations. It can even save the property from demolition further down the line. It's the truest way to make a home pay off in the long term because the initial investment will give you the longest lifecycle for the building.
Durability
As well as adaptability, it's a really good idea to look at durability. Again you want the property to last for a very long time to pay you back for the investment. So, choose durable materials that you won't need to replace. You can consider various options with us when you design residential architecture in London.
A really important thing to look at here is the finishes. Most of the focus is usually on the aesthetics. That's perfectly fine, but you want to avoid low-quality materials that will wear out quickly. They'll date the property and need replacing, adding to your costs. Durable materials can be worth the extra upfront investment to give you a longer return.
Growing value
It's always a good idea to view your home as an asset. What do you want to happen with your savings, stocks and shares, bonds, and other assets? Healthy annual growth to ensure you keep building your wealth. Ideally, you should want this for your home too.
There are some crucial things to think about here. Most importantly, you should choose a design with the best chance to keep gaining value year by year. Timeless designs that never go out of style are the best choice. Plus, think about how you can gain value over time with things like energy savings and low maintenance costs.
Finally, it is also a good idea to think about social value. You can do different things to maximise it with residential architecture in London and other parts of the country. Homes can pay off over time if they enrich daily life and help to create a community. There are various ways to do this, including creating hobby rooms, communal gardens, and spaces for interaction.
Challenges
If you are looking to maximise the long term value of a home, there are a few challenges you need to be ready to overcome. Firstly, you need to ensure you don't think short-term. Have the foresight to look ahead. Most crucially, don't get caught up in immediate cost savings if it could end up costing more over time.
The biggest challenge is simply the fact it is so difficult to predict the future. The Victorians probably didn't imagine one day indoor plumbing would be the standard. While you don't have a crystal ball, you can take the time to research. Look at things like new and developing tech. Plus, ensure adaptability to give the widest scope for changes.
Plan your strategy for residential architecture in London
Coffey Residential can design homes that provide long term value for our clients. We can ensure they are efficient and sustainable, adaptable, and the perfect match for any lifestyle. Even better, we look at what works today and keeps working well into the future. It'll ensure you get long term pay-offs.
So, get in touch if you want to discuss residential architecture in London with us. We're an award winning team with a real passion for high end design.